The Lost Life of Draco Malfoy
by lpasta1991
Summary: When Draco Malfoy's son is about to get married, he decides to tell him the story of the girl who changed his life during his 7th year at Hogwarts, and how he lost her forever.
1. A Family's Tradition

**A.N. So I totally got writer's block on my story, but this one has been in my head for quite some time now and I know exactly where I want it to go. Enjoy =D**

Chapter 1: A Family's Tradition

A tall young man with strikingly sharp features sat on the foot of a bed. He was holding a rather nice tie delicately between his hands and quietly saying something under his breath, as if trying to memorize something. He had white blonde hair, like his father, and sea green eyes like his mother.

The man stopped suddenly when there was a knock on the door. "Come in." He responded, loudly.

Without a spare moment, the doors burst and a beautiful young girl came sweeping in.

"Oh, Darling, isn't it fantastic? Our wedding tomorrow! Oh, my! I can't believe it." She sighed, dashing about the room, picking up strange things and setting them on a dresser or nightstand, whichever was closest.

"Yes, Darling. Fantastic." The man answered distractedly, but his fiance paid no attention to him.

Instead, she grabbed his hand and pulled him over to a mirror. After tying the tie that he was holding around his neck, she stood beside him. "Mister and Missus Malfoy." She breathed with a large smile. However, the man was not and she took notice.

"Dear, I know you're upset about everything that happened lately with your family, but right now is a time for your happiness. Just put all of this off of your mind, at least until after tomorrow. Please." She squeezed his hand and he vaguely smiled.

"For you." He kissed her on her head and she smiled out of satisfaction.

"Now, you need to get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day."

There was another knock on the door and an older man stepped in. "I'm sorry, Genevieve, but I'm going to be forced to keep him up a little while longer." This man had the same hair as the younger one, only with light grey eyes. Father and son. "Will you excuse us, please?"

"Of course, Mr. Malfoy." Genevieve kissed her fiance on the cheek, before nodding slightly to her soon-to-be father-in-law and heading out of the door, shutting it behind her.

"What, Dad?" The younger man asked, looking at his father in the reflection in the mirror.

"You're getting married tomorrow." He answered. The son rolled his eyes.

"And?" He asked, beginning to get irritated.

"In our family, Scorpius, it's tradition for the father to tell his son the story of how he met the love of his life."

Now Scorpius was extremely irritated. "I already know how you met Mom." He took the tie off, once again holding it in his hands.

"I'm not talking about your mother." Scorpius turned around, staring down his father.

"Sorry?" He responded, taken aback. That was not what he was expecting.

"I loved your mother. But I loved someone else much more. I still do. To this very day."

"Then why'd you marry Mom?"

"It's a long story, but it sure as hell is a good one." His father smirked and sat down on the bed, motioning for Scorpius to do the same. He obliged.

And so began the tale of how Draco Malfoy met, and lost, the love of his life.

**A.N. Sooooo what do you guys think? Should I keep it going? I know that it's short, but it's just an introduction. Please review! =D**


	2. You Scream Like a Little Girl

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except for my OC**

**A.N. And thank you to those of you who reviewed and all that good stuff! You guys brought a HUGE smile to my face. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'm sorry that it took so long; my laptop got a virus and everything went downhill from there haha**

Chapter 2: You _Do_ Scream Like a Little Girl

Draco Malfoy stood, terrified, outside of the doors that led to the Great Room in the Malfoy Manor. The Dark Lord awaited inside said room and Draco knew exactly what was awaiting him.

Death.

He had failed his task. Dumbledore may have been dead, but it wasn't by his hand. And the whole point of it was to punish Draco anyways. Even if he _had_ completed it, Draco knew, that he would be killed anyways. The Dark Lord would find a reason to.

Draco took a deep breath before opening the doors and stepping inside. The Dark Lord stood, with a cruel grin on his face. Draco immediately kneeled down, bowing, but he noticed he was slightly lightheaded. However, he didn't have time to try to discover what it was from.

The torture began immediately. Draco tried his hardest to remain standing and strong, but after the sixth Crucio, he collapsed, yelling in pain, unable to stand the pain any longer.

After what felt like hours, it finally stopped, and the Dark Lord ordered him to stand. Draco did so slowly, still in pain from the countless Crucio's and other torturing spells that were placed on him. Out of impatience, Voldemort Crucio'ed him again, but, against all of the pain that he felt, Draco continued to stand, with his eyes and mouth squeezed shut.

When the torturing stopped again, Draco opened his eyes and looked at his Lord, waiting for death to come. Voldemort raised his wand, with a smile on his face. Draco's face remained blank, he was ready for this. He knew it was coming and he sure as hell knew his Lord would smile as he did it.

But then the door to the Great Room burst opened and everyone turned wands at the ready. Except Draco. He remained frozen in place, still looking at Voldemort.

"My father is Carmen Moretti. I was told to come here. My name is Danielle." Came a female, American voice. Draco saw the Dark Lord smirke, and it was then that he decided to turn around to face the intruder.

In the doorway, stood a girl, about his age. She had short dark brown hair and tan skin. Her features were soft and feminine and her frame was thin, but with small curves that were perfectly proportioned, and she stood, Draco guessed, no more than five and a half feet tall. As Draco continued examining her, she turned to him and he got a look at her large, hazel eyes. They held so much mystery and pain that Draco couldn't help but to be drawn to her. But after several moments, she broke their staring contest and turned back to Voldemort.

"So?" She asked, her features holding a faint trace of boredom. "Are you just going to stare at me or what?"

"Draco." The Dark Lord said and Draco turned back around to face him. "Show Miss Moretti to your room. She will stay there until the both of you are to go to Hogwarts."

Draco wasn't going to question him. He had just gotten a second chance. He didn't care why or how or anything. All he cared was that this girl's sudden interruption had saved his life. Draco immediately turned and walked out the door, the girl following closely behind him.

He could hear, and feel, this girl walking extremely close behind him. He assumed it was because she didn't want to get lost. Draco smirked to himself and continued to snake through the different stairwells and hallways that led to his bedroom.

He didn't pause at the doorway when he reached his room, he just opened the door and walked straight in, leaving the door open for the girl to enter. He went straight to his closet and took off his shoes. But when he didn't hear the door shut he turned to see the girl standing awkwardly in the doorway.

"You _can_ come in, you know?" Draco smirked. "This is where you'll be staying."

The girl didn't move.

"Did you hear me, you daft-" Draco started but she cut him off.

"Yes, I heard you insufferable prick. Sorry that I can't make myself at home and comfortable in a stranger's house where I will be sharing a room, and a bed, might I add, with said stranger." She snapped, finally stepping in and shutting the door behind her.

"Well, get used to it. You're going to be here for at least several months and I will _not_ follow you around making sure you're comfortable." Draco sneered.

"I wasn't asking you to. But a simple, 'you'll be staying in here with me' when we approached would have sufficed." She stepped closer to him, her head held high. She was challenging him.

"Well, excuse me if my manners are not up to your standards, Miss Moretti. But to be totally frank, I don't give a _damn_ if you find me rude or my habits despicable. You are in _my_ house and you will respect me as such." Draco walked towards her and they were standing inches apart. Draco looked down on her and she looked up, seemingly not intimidated at all.

"The day I respect you is the day you start to treat me as I so deserve. It is obvious that you don't know who I am, so allow me to enlighten you." She smirked. "My father, Carmen Moretti, is in charge of the Death Eater movement going on in America. The only person he answers to is Voldemort, who mainly has trust in my father enough to let him do as he sees fit. You will treat me as your superior, for that is what I am."

"If your father is as important as you claim, then why would he dump on my doorstep like some unwanted squib?" Draco questioned, a smirk matching hers placed firmly on his lips.

Her smirk fell, along with the amused, superior glint in her eyes. It was replaced with a look of complete contempt and hatred. "Take it back!" She yelled, poking Draco in his chest. "You do not know why I'm here, so don't you _dare _insult my father or me about things you are not able to comprehend!" After her fit was done, she turned and stormed into the bathroom. Draco continued dressing, the smirk still on his lips, as he heard her run the water from the shower. She was definitely interesting, with a temper and a wit to rival his own.

Twenty minutes later, Draco laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling. His mind kept running back to what had happened earlier that night, and how horrified he had been of death up until a half hour ago. He, no doubt, still felt guilty for his hand in Dumbledore's murder, but he felt that a large weight had been taken off of his shoulders when his life, and his mother's, was spared.

The girl suddenly emerged from the bathroom. "I need you to escort me to Voldemort. Now." She demanded. "I need to have an audience with him and I don't know where to find him. But seeing as this is your house, which you appear to be very proud of, you should knew where he is. So, if you don't mind." She walked towards the bedroom door and opened it.

Draco stood up and walked out, leading back through various hallways and stairs, until he reached his father's study. He opened the door and motioned for her to step inside. She nodded and did so, grabbing Draco by his shirt as she passed, pulling him inside, and closed the door behind them.

Voldemort sat behind the desk that his father normally inhabited. Draco bowed his head, hoping that the Dark Lord wouldn't remember what his punishment was supposed to be before the girl showed up.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the girl bow as well.

"Voldemort." She said.

"Danielle." Voldemort, too, bowed, which Draco found odd. His stomach actually dropped, maybe she _was_ as important as she claimed and was now coming to rat him out on being so disrespectful to her. "It's been far too long. The last time I saw you, you were no bigger than a loaf of bread."

"That's what I'm told, Sir." She smirked. "But I'm sure you're wondering why this little reunion is occurring." Voldemort nodded. "You see, my father is now in prison. He has already been committed of murdering a Death Eater, but must now await sentencing. He didn't trust the…scum that answer to him in America, and requested that I come here for protection until he is able to care for me himself again." Draco almost sighed of relief. She hadn't come here to snitch on him.

"I see. Well, how unfortunate." Voldemort mused. "And under what circumstances did he murder this Death Eater?"

"Extraneous ones that have no part in our cause, it is only a minor setback." She answered, lucidly.

Voldemort nodded. "Understandable. Now if there is nothing else."

"Actually, Sir, there is something else." Danielle continued. "You see, I have been extremely disrespected by Mister Malfoy, here, and I would greatly appreciate it if you could tell him that he needs to respect his superiors."

Draco's breath hitched. He had celebrated too soon. Suddenly, he was doubled over in pain, being tortured for what seemed like the hundredth time that night. When it was over, Draco looked over and saw Danielle smirking and he scowled. He had greatly overestimated her if she was just going to run back and cry to the Dark Lord every time something didn't go her way.

"You treat her as if you would me, Draco, and this will never happen again."

"Yes, My Lord." Draco answered.

Danielle smirked and nodded her head before heading out of the study, Draco following cautiously behind her.

All the way back to their room, Draco glared at the back of her head. She was a coward and a crybaby, running to Voldemort for nothing more than what Draco considered getting a feel for the other. Once they reached the room, she headed strait for the bathroom and left the door slightly opened. Draco sat on the corner of his bed, glaring at the ajar door. He needed to get back at her, but it would take meticulous planning if he didn't want her running back to Voldemort again like a child who had scraped her knee.

"Draco, can you come in here please?" Danielle called from the bathroom, the water still running. Draco growled and stood up. Upon entering the bathroom, he bowed.

"How can I help you, Miss Moretti?"

She laughed. She _actually_ laughed. Draco's head snapped up and he scowled at her. He was starting to think that she was some kind of mental patient.

"About that. Ignore that." She said simply, as if he had just walked in on her naked. Draco continued to scowl at her, but he was not so furious as to take in the sight that was in front of him.

She laid bare, in the bathtub. Bubbles surrounding her and covering her body completely. Her hair was up in a tiny ponytail and the only thing that emerged besides her face from the water was a portion of a leg, which probably appeared much tanner than it actually was, considering the bubbles were a stark white.

"I was simply…put off." She smirked, noticing that Draco was no longer looking at her face. "I know that I saved your life tonight and you didn't show me much gratitude for doing so."

"How did _you_ know about that?" Draco snapped.

"_Everybody_ knew about it. Don't feel too highly of yourself, Draco. There were bets placed on how you would fair in your little mission." She smiled. "I saved your life and a little gratitude would have been nice. I could have just as easily waited outside the little meeting until you were disposed of."

"And you just knew the perfect time to storm in?" Draco chided.

Danielle's smile grew. "Well, yes. You _do _scream like a little girl."

"Whatever, Moretti. I'm sure you would have, too, going through what I was." Draco barked.

"No judgment here, Draco. All I wanted you to realize was that a thank you was in order."

"Well, if you think you're getting one now, you're completely daft."

"One won't be necessary. You learned your lesson."

Draco stormed out of the bathroom and laid down in bed. About an hour later he felt the bed move. He turned over to see Danielle, making herself completely comfortable in his bed.

"Do you mind?" He snapped, still extremely irritated from her actions previously.

"Actually, I don't." She smiled and rolled over, facing away from Draco.

He growled. "This is _my_ bed."

"And it's mine as well until summer starts. Unless you'd like to share a bed with someone else. Wormtail, perhaps?" Came her reply, not even a second later.

Draco mumbled something inaudible and rolled over, pulling the blankets over with him. This summer was going to be longer than he anticipated.

**A.N.: So there it is =] I hope you guys like it! Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon. Please review and constructive criticism is ****highly recommended…I haven't really written for a while so PLEASE help me out =D**


	3. Spooning

**Yay! Chapter 3! Thanks for the reviews guys. They really make my day! I hope you all like this chapter. It was a bit difficult to write. I wanted to show a different side of Danielle, because this side is **_**important**_**, as in there wouldn't be story without it haha**

**Chapter 3: Spooning**

That night, and several nights after that one, Draco's dreams were plagued with Dumbledore's face and him falling to his death. He would suddenly jerk awake, finding that Danielle was leaning over him, either running her hands through his hair or rubbing his cheek with her thumb. He assumed that it was because he was thrashing about in his sleep and she wanted some peace. And every time he woke up, she'd say the same thing.

"It's over and done. Everyone makes mistakes, but it's how you handle them that make you a good or bad person."

And then she'd roll back over and fall asleep, leaving Draco feeling slightly better than when he originally woke.

About two weeks after their first night together, Draco finally had a full night's sleep. He had no dreams of Dumbledore or death and did not wake up to see Danielle comforting him.

That morning, though, was a whole different story.

Draco slowly opened his eyes, feeling the always welcomed heat from the sun that came in from his windows in the morning. As he sat up, he saw Danielle, sitting cross-legged by his feet.

"You think I'm crazy, don't you?" She asked, but she said it as more of a statement.

"Yes." Draco answered simply.

She smiled. _Well, at least I'm right in thinking that_. Draco thought.

"Just so you know, you're answer is supposed to be 'No, Danielle, you're an incredibly beautiful, charming, and funny young woman', just in case I ask you that again in the future."

"No." Came Draco's simple answer again.

"No?" She questioned, her smile falling just slightly.

"I don't recall stuttering."

"It was just a joke. There's no need to get so upset about it."

"No one's upset here."

"I do believe you are, actually."

"And you're a mental person so we won't be going off of what you believe."

Apparently, Draco had hit a nerve. Her smile completely fell from her face.

"And you're just a wanna-be bad-ass daddy's boy who can't do anything on your own. Everyone has to hold your hand every direction you decide to go, because you're not brave enough to do anything you believe in. In fact, you're only the way you are because you don't know how to be good. You don't have a single good bone in your body." She hissed standing up.

"And who are you to tell me what I am?" Draco seethed, standing on the side of his bed.

"I'm Danielle Alessandra Lucetta Moretti. Nice to fucking meet you." And then she stormed out.

Moments later, it hit Draco and, if he were anyone else, he would have passed out. Instead, he sat back down on his bed.

Danielle Alessandra Lucetta Moretti.

Draco Abraxas Lucius Malfoy.

_Bloody hell. _He thought. _We have the same fucking initials._

It's not that it was completely out there, a lot of people had the same initials. It was her second middle name that caught his attention. It was the feminine rendering of his second middle name. His father's name.

It was a strange coincidence, that was for sure, and Draco did not know what to make of it. It _had_ to be a coincidence. She obviously wasn't related to the Malfoy family in any way, she had none of the features. Besides, Draco was sure that, if the Malfoy's were in fact related to the Moretti's, his father would have known about it and gloated endlessly about the power the family held in America.

_No. It's just a coincidence._ Was Draco's final conclusion. _A very strange and random coincidence._

* * *

Another two weeks had gone by and Draco's nightmares had returned. He no longer awoke to Danielle, looking at him worriedly, pseudo or not, and Draco was not quite sure how he felt about it.

On the one hand, she was wrong about him and he did not need anyone's help. He could get through this problem on his own and he did not need her babying him.

On the other hand, Draco liked feeling that someone was actually worried, even if in the slightest way and only for their well-being, about his own welfare. He could not help but to feel slightly saddened by the fact that he had upset Danielle so much that she no longer comforted him out of his nightmares, no matter how strange her advice was about them.

After the fifth night in a row with nightmares, Draco decided it was time to reconcile with his American roommate. Reconcile. Not apologize. As Malfoy's do not apologize and he had done nothing wrong, she had just gotten upset over nothing.

Draco suddenly sat up in his bed, after witnessing Dumbledore fall of the Astronomy Tower for what felt like the billionth time that month, and looked over at Danielle. She was laying on her side away from Draco, feigning sleep. Draco could tell she was faking by her breathing. It was much too quick and irregular for her to be completely asleep.

"Oi, Moretti." Draco called in a shaky voice, still a little upset about his dream. She sighed and rolled over to face him.

"What, Draco? I'm trying to sleep." She sounded incredibly bored and did not open her eyes.

"Like hell you are. Wake up! I want to talk to you." Draco demanded, already irritated.

"And what makes you think I want to talk to you?" She asked, rolling back over and pulling the blankets tighter around her. Draco ripped them off of her and she immediately sat up and was now nose to nose with him.

"Because you are living in _my_ house and sleeping in _my _bed. If I demand to have a conversation in the middle of the night, when you're not even sleeping, might I add, then it will be done."

Danielle smiled. "So, the annoying, know-it-all, almighty Draco is back. Did you have a nice vacation?" She joked.

"Now is not the time for jokes, Moretti. I'm trying to have a conversation with you."

"And you're failing quite miserably. Especially when we have barely spoken to each other over this past, how long, three weeks?"

"A month."

"Oh, honey!" She gushed. "I'm so sorry I forgot about our anniversary! Is that why you woke me up? I didn't even realize you were counting!"

Draco glowered at her. She was seriously making fun of the fact that he had corrected her. "Stop trying to be funny, you annoying little thing!"

Her smile didn't fall and she continued. "I hadn't even realized that today we'd known each other for a month and I haven't gotten you a gift! Please don't be mad at me! I can't go a minute without a kiss from my hunky, handsome Draco!"

Draco gave up. Having a serious conversation with this girl was like trying to convince Saint Potter that he wasn't the best thing to happen to the wizarding world since chocolate frogs. He laid back down and turned away from her, but she wasn't done yet. She leaned over him and laid her head down on the crook of his neck, her hand lightly touching his arm.

"Oh, Draco. I'm sorry that I've upset you. Please don't break up with me!" He could feel her smiling against his neck. She then moved her lips up to his ear. "Goodnight, Draco, sweet dreams." She whispered ever-so lightly before turning away once again and making herself comfortable on the other side of the bed.

The goosebumps and thoughts that she left Draco with did not help his sleeping problem at all. He rolled over and glared at the back of her head for what felt like hours. But, in the quiet of the night, could have been no more than 5 minutes.

Draco eventually fell asleep, so close to Danielle that he could smell her hair.

"Draco. Hey, Draco." Draco could hear a voice calling him, but he chose to ignore it. He was enjoying his rather sound sleep. "Hey! Stuck-up prick!" The voice was louder that time and he had no choice but to wake up or, in the least, open his eyes. He chose the latter and what he saw when he opened his eyes made him jump out of bed anyways.

He had been _spooning_, yes, that's right, spooning, as in _cuddling_ with Danielle. And that was not even the worst of it. Both of his arms were wrapped tightly around her, one hand falling neatly on her waist and the other entwined in hers.

She jumped up just like he had, with a smile on her face. "Where's the fire?" She yelled.

"I-you-we-" Draco stuttered, pointing from himself to Danielle and, finally, to the bed.

"I do believe that it is called cuddling."

"I know what we did!" Draco snapped. If he had not just woken up he was confident that he would have come up with far more cleverer things to say. "The question is why did it happen!"

"Hmmm. Well, in my past experiences that form of contact happens after a couple has had sex." She was still making fun of him and Draco was growing very tired of it.

"But that obviously didn't happen in this case."

"Oh, right. Well, then there's only one explanation."

"Which is?"

"You are secretly extremely attracted to me and attacking me in my sleep is your subconscious telling you so." She smiled again and Draco noticed how white and straight her teeth were.

Maybe, she was right. But he violently shook the thought from his head once he actually comprehended what he was thinking. That _he_, Draco Malfoy, was attracted to _her_, Danielle Moretti.

She laughed. "Jesus, and you say I'm crazy." She turned to walk into the bathroom, but Draco called her back. "What?" She asked, upon turning around.

"Why did you wake me up in the first place?"

"Oh. Because I'm leaving soon, to a very important engagement and you had a death grip on me. I tried to sneak away but your arms just wrapped around me tighter. Very annoying, to say the least."

Draco _humph'd_ as she continued on her way to the bathroom. This girl always seemed to out do him and it was getting very old. He wouldn't let her get the best of him next time. He promised himself that.

**A.N. So, that's it! Not the most crazy chapter in the world, but, hopefully, the next one will be a bit more of an explanation of Danielle and why she is the way she is. =D Please review and let me know what you guys think!**


	4. The War Zone

_**A.N. Hey guys! So here's chapter 4 yay! I hope you guys really like it. I played around with a LOT of ideas for this, all basically**_** the same, but I feel this one's the best. I warn you, though, it's not exactly the most pleasant thing, but I guess it could have been worse. It's kind of long, which I hope is a good thing! Btw, there is a little bit of stream of consciousness, just a warning. So review and let me know what you think.**

**Chapter 4: The War Zone**

Draco walked with Danielle, still slightly embarrassed about their sleeping arrangement the night before, down to the fireplace. From what Draco could gather, every Saturday morning, his mother would unlock the floo network for her. She would disappear for hours, and then return as if she was never gone, which Draco found strange. She never told anyone where she went, and no one asked.

Draco just decided that it was because she was living in a house full of Death Eaters and did not want them knowing her personal business. That was the most likely reason and exactly what any sane person would do.

_She's not sane, though_. Draco thought, just as they approached the fireplace.

Danielle turned him. "What time is it?"

"10." Came Draco's short answer.

Her face scrunched up for moment, as if in deep thought. "Well, I think I'll return around 2, so if you could unlock it around then."

"Or _maybe_ I won't, then you can't come back." Draco raised his eyebrows and actually began considering that idea.

"And _maybe_ I could punch you in the face." She smiled. "Just unlock it around 2, or is that too difficult since you don't do anything around this place?"

"I can handle it fine." Draco snapped as he unlocked the network. She always turned everything into mocking him in some way. The strange thing was, Draco was never prepared for it. He never had a good comeback for her, but he blamed that on the fact that the only thing he really knew about her was that she had the same initials as him.

"Proud of you. When I get back, I'll teach you how to tie your shoes."

"Promise?" Draco asked sarcastically. Danielle took a handful of powder and stepped into the hearth.

"Pinky promise."

"What the fuck is a-" But Draco was cut off by her saying her destination quickly, throwing the powder at her feet, and disappearing into a mass of green flames.

Draco waited several seconds before locking it back up and heading back to his room. On his way, he passed a large window that overlooked the grounds and he stopped.

What was once a beautiful garden, with amazing flowers, plants, and decorations, was now nothing but weeds and dead shrubbery. All of the beauty that was once the place he lived was gone, which was an unsettling thought. It was almost as if the garden knew what sort of un-human evil was inside the house.

Draco then thought about his mother and how she had prided herself on those gardens. How she meticulously picked out every flower, every statue, every fountain. And now it was as if no one had cared for it in at least a century. Draco was sure that she was completely heartbroken.

His mother. Heartbroken. It made him sick. He had risked everything to save her life last year, and a small part of him wished he hadn't. He almost wished he hadn't accepted the mission, simply for his mother. What kind of life was she living now, where the one thing she cared for and was truly passionate about was now in ruins.

She never smiled anymore, not that her smiles were all that common. But Draco remembered how she used to stand at that window just like he was now, looking over what she had created, and she would smile, but just slightly. It had been the only thing to make her smile. Her own son couldn't even do that.

_Why do all Malfoy's have to be so emotionless towards everything?_ It was something that he had asked himself often, but would never say aloud. Why did he have to be so heartless and worry constantly about everyone fearing him? It was exhausting. Why couldn't he be more carefree?

_Carefree like Danielle_. He thought as he sighed, pressing his forehead against the window. No matter how daft Draco thought she was, she could always make a joke out of something. She was always smiling, even when no one else was.

Draco was so envious of that, he realized. He wished that he could joke and smile and not have to worry about something like staying alive. He was only 17, that shouldn't be number one on his list of "Things to Do Today".

Draco tried to imagine what she thought about all of the time, being in his house. Did she feel awkward? Or indifferent? Or happy? That was one thing that stumped him. Even though that girl smiled and joked constantly, he never truly knew what it was that she was feeling. She kept it hidden away from anyone, and Draco was almost positive that it was buried so deep that she often didn't know what she was feeling.

And in that respect, her and Draco were the same. Neither voiced how they felt, and rarely accepted it in the safety of their own minds.

How could she laugh when no one else could? How could she smile and joke when no one joined in? She was so alone and, once again, so was he, but in a different way.

Every thought somehow came back to her and how much better she was. How jealous he was of the way she acted. It wasn't fair for someone to have so much happiness about them, while he had none.

But things were probably much easier for her. Her father was very important, as Draco so painfully discovered, and not a lot of people gave her much grief, most likely.

And, whether or not he wanted to really admit it, she was beautiful, and beautiful people always seemed to have somewhat easier lives, if only slightly. She undoubtedly had things handed to her wherever she went.

Draco had never considered himself all that "attractive", especially at the level that he believed Danielle to be at. Sure, he wasn't ugly, but would he go out and call himself incredibly handsome? No way.

He had only been with one girl, Pansy Parkinson, and she wasn't that easy on the eyes. And Draco considered ex's to be a way to determine the over-all attractiveness of a person.

Draco stepped back from the window and crossed his arms, scowling.

He had finally come to grips with the reason Danielle got under his skin so easily. She was everything he wished he could have, he wished he could be. Shame ran through him. A Malfoy was supposed to be proud to be a Malfoy and look down on everyone else. That was what he was brought up to believe, but in just a month, one girl had completely flipped that.

Draco was now _disgusted_ with himself, everything he stood for, everything he had done. Draco stared at his reflection in the window, coming back to one of the first thoughts he had when he first walked up.

Why had he taken the mission? Everything would have simpler, easier, over, if he had just declined. He and his mother would have been killed, but at least neither would have seen the day that would be sickened by who they were and the things they had done to get there.

Feeling ill, Draco quickly turned and continued walking to his room. He peered into the library as he passed, thinking of all of the hours over the summers he would spend in there, reading. He saw his mother sitting in a corner, staring out of the window and onto the grounds.

Draco stepped inside quietly and walked over to his mother. She sighed as she heard him approach.

"This is our life now, Draco." She said, not taking her gaze from her garden. She opened her mouth as if to say something else, but decided against it and, instead, nodded her head and turned to leave. She paused though, just as she reached the doorway and turned to face her son. "Watch yourself, Draco. Please. This family can't take anymore of this."

And then she was gone, leaving Draco staring at the doorway with an eyebrow cocked. Watch himself? But from who? Voldemort and the other Death Eaters were a given and he did not need to be warned against them. Did she mean Danielle? Like to not get close to her? When would he ever, anyways?

_Obviously this morning._

He scolded himself. That was just some random thing that happened and would never happen again. He swore to himself that he would push it back to the recesses of his mind.

Besides, that was not even what his mother meant. _Don't get involved_ is what she should have said. But why would he? He had never even been really interested in anyone, not even Pansy, so why would he be now?

Jealous: yes. Interested: no way in hell.

Hell. Was he going to go there when he died? Was there even a hell? Or a heaven? And _when_ would he die? 5 years? 10 years? 50 years?

Draco did not like not knowing, especially something as terrifying as that. But then he weighed the other option: knowing, which was 10 times scarier than not knowing.

Either way he was terrified of death and what awaited after it.

Draco pulled at the sleeves to his shirt, being sure to keep the Dark Mark covered. A year ago, he was proud of that tattoo, but now he was seriously considering just cutting his arm off so he would never have to look at it again.

He made to leave the library, but something caught his eye on the bookshelf. He walked over to it. It was nothing special, just a book, but it was like something about it was screaming at him. Maybe it was the title.

_Darkness Nevermore: Voldemort's Rise and Fall__ by Bathilda Bagshot__._

Draco plucked it from the shelf, wondering what it was doing in _his_ library. The library of a Death Eater. Draco almost put the book back just at the thought, but curiosity got the best of him. He flipped it to the back cover and began to read.

_Darkness Nevermore__ is a story which outlines the life and hardships of Tom Riddle and how these grew to create the infamous Lord Voldemort. Go inside the mind of a killer and discover what truly stopped his reign of terror on that faithful night. And is he really gone for good?_

Obviously not, Draco thought to himself, but his curiosity had brewed again. He wanted to know why he spotted this book above all others and what it actually contained: falsehoods or the truth. He called for his house-elf."

"Knolly!" He shouted and with a pop, a short and rather fat elf appeared in the room.

"How may Knolly assist you, Master Malfoy?"

"What time is it?"

"A quarter to noon, Sir. Will that be all?" This house-elf was much braver than the other one, Donny, Dolly, whatever his name was. He didn't stutter at all.

"No, actually. Unlock the fireplace around two o'clock. Miss Moretti plans on returning at that time."

"Of course, Sir, consider it done."

"Now, go." And he disappeared with another pop. Draco sighed, almost content as he sat down in a large armchair and got to reading.

After several hours, he had finished with the book. His neck hurt and his eyes were throbbing. It was not even worth it, he learned nothing more than the rumors that had been floating around over his childhood.

_A waste of fucking time._ Draco thought, throwing the book onto the floor for Knolly to pick up later. He looked at the clock on the wall.

2:45. Danielle should be home. _Not home. Back. _Draco corrected. He stood up and stretched before walking to his room. He did not even have to go inside, however, to know that she was reeking havoc. He heard crashes and sobs as he burst into his room, and he stood frozen staring at what he saw.

Danielle had literally trashed his room. Everything besides his bed was knocked over and the mirror on the wall was broken, blood surrounding it and leading around the room. No doubt Danielle hit it in someway and it was her blood. Just as Danielle went to push the mattress off the bed, she fell and began sobbing.

"What in the bloody hell did you do to my bedroom?" Draco screamed. He knew girls could be emotional sometimes but this was ridiculous.

Danielle picked up a piece of glass and threw it at him, missing my only inches, causing it to crash on the wall beside him. "Just go away, Draco! Fuck, I'll take care of it! I can't deal with you right now!" She sobbed, trying to sound as strong as possible to frighten him away no doubt.

"No fucking way am I leaving you to cause more damage!" Draco stormed over to her. That was when he saw how badly she had been cut. A large piece of glass was stuck in her right hand, right in between two of her knuckles, blood pouring out of the wound. "Oh, bloody hell." Draco whispered as he dropped to his knees to help her.

She was cradling her hand in her lap, still sobbing, uncaring if Draco helped her or not. She winced and yelped slightly in pain as he pulled the glass out.

"This will hurt." Draco warned, but her face did not change. "Episky." Her hand was sewn up, but a scar still remained. That was when Draco noticed the other scars on her hand. They were light, but there were so many he was surprised he never noticed before.

"Do this often, do you?" Draco said, putting his wand in his pocket.

"Fuck off." She snapped, still staring at her, now healed, hand.

"No. What the fuck caused you to go on a rampage?"

"None of your business."

"Well, seeing as you DESTROYED MY ROOM, it is my business!" Even covered in blood, she found a way to annoy him. Draco would have laughed if his room did not look like a war zone.

"Whatever, Malfoy." She whispered, defeated, finally looking at him, dead in the eye. All of the mystery and spark that had always been there was now gone. There was now betrayal, pain, and regret.

"What did you go do today? What do you go do every Saturday, Danielle?"

"I go see my best friend." Danielle whispered, looking away like she was ashamed.

That was the reason she was flipping out? Her and her best friend got into a fight? No doubt about a purse or whatever girls like her fight about. Draco felt the anger returning to him, however she continued.

"He's living in a rehabilitation center for the mentally disabled who are addicted to drugs and alcohol." Her voice cracked, like she was going to start crying again.

_Holy fuck_. Was the only Draco could think.

"He's schizophrenic. Drug-induced schizophrenia. Diagnosed about a year and a half ago. After we found out, he got into even worse drugs along with the ones he took for his disease. He ended up in this place about 4 months ago, after he overdosed for like the third time."

"Holy fuck." Draco mentally slapped himself. He was so comforting.

"Yeah, basically. He used to be so fun. So popular, he took care of me, took me under his wing, I guess. I grew up with him. And now I guess it's my turn to take care of him."

"I- I'm- That's terrible." Instead of apologizing, Draco decided to go with that. _Nice._ He thought.

"Mmhhmm. I miss him so much. He was like my big brother, but now it's just his shell." She began crying again.

"Why do you go, then?"

"His doctor told me that I was the one thing that kept him level, even just slightly. That I was the one thing he still associate good feelings for and that he still looked at me like the little sister that he needed to protect. He told me that if I kept coming around there was a good chance he'd be a functioning member of society." She began sobbing and launched forward onto Draco, who immediately wrapped his arms around her and ran his hand through her short brown hair, which surprised even him.

"How are you so happy all of the time? Especially when you have this going through your mind." Draco asked. He was stunned that he was so curious and worried about the situation, but he thought of it as a good thing. He had gone all of his life without caring and now he was caring for a girl who was a complete stranger. _No, she's not a stranger. She's just like me._ Draco thought.

"Because if there's anything I learned through this it's that laughing is one of the most important things to life. Danny used to laugh all of the time, but now he's incapable of laughter. It doesn't exist for him anymore. So, I try my best to make up for the laughter now missing in the world."

She pulled away from Draco and wiped her eyes. "I miss my best friend, Draco. But this is the only way I might get him back."

She stood up and pulled out her wand to clean. "No, don't, Danielle. Our house-elf will take care of it."

She sighed deeply. "Danielle, I-I'm so sorry this happened to you." Draco mentally smiled. His first apology ever and it was to someone who actually deserved it.

"Thanks, Draco. Thanks for everything." And then she walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Draco still had not moved. He showed emotions for the first time to someone who was not a ghost haunting a bathroom. He apologized for someone's misfortune and did not try to make it worse.

Danielle was so good, and he wanted to be good. He wanted to have everything about her become him. He wanted her goodness to rub off on him. Draco smiled slightly as he stood and called for Knolly to come clean the mess.

**A.N. So, that's it. Not exactly a fun and happy chapter but it had to happen eventually. Don't be mad. Please review, guys! I update way faster with reviews! Thanks so much for reading! =D**


	5. Draco's Mission

**Chapter 5: Draco's Mission**

As Draco stepped out of his room to give Danielle time to clean herself up, his Dark Mark began to burn. Draco felt nauseas as he lifted up his sleeve and pressed his right hand to his tattoo. He had just got done doing the first good thing he had ever done and now he was being called to do more bad.

He instantly felt a squeezing sensation and greatly resisted the urge to be sick as he was transported. Once the feeling had subsided, he opened his eyes and saw that he was now in the Great Room in his house.

Where he first saw Danielle.

Soon, Draco's eyes fell on the Dark Lord and he immediately dropped his gaze and cleared his mind.

"Tonight, we are going to invade the ministry. _Everyone_ is to be involved." Voldemort hissed. Draco could hear him walking around the room slowly. "You will each be given your separate assignments. Any disagreements will result in punishment."

As if to demonstrate, Voldemort raised his wand and began torturing Pettigrew. The man's whines and cries brought a chill down Draco's spine, but still his eyesight remained firmly at the floor in front of his feet.

It was not until the cries stopped and Draco heard the familiar _whooshing_ sound of apparation that he looked up. Immediately, his Aunt Bellatrix stood in front of him.

"You're part is simple Draco." She played with his hair with the tip of her wand. "You are our ticket in. You will go to the Ministry as if you are turning yourself in for your part in Dumbledore's murder." Draco's stomach dropped. He wanted to forget about that whole incident and it was constantly being thrown in his face. "Think you can handle that?" She walked around him and placed her head on his shoulder.

"Yes, Aunt Bella." Draco tried to sound brave, but he was sure it came as anything but.

"Now, get out. Be ready in an hour." Then she turned and apparated out of the room.

Draco slowly walked back to his room. He did not want to disturb Danielle, but he needed to take a cold shower or something to prepare him for what he was about to go through.

When he first stepped in, he did not see her, but then he heard a noise from the window and quickly turned his head. She sat on the windowsill, the window open. She was overlooking the grounds like he had been earlier.

"Are you scared?" She asked suddenly.

"No." Draco took several steps towards her, but stopped when she turned around.

"Don't lie. You'd be an idiot if you weren't scared."

"And I'm an idiot to admit it around this lot of people, don't you think?"

She considered that for a moment before continuing. "That's true. But who am I going to tell? What am I going to do?" She stood up and walked over to him. "Be safe. You're the only thing I have in this house. If you don't come home, I'll kill you." She smiled.

"Sounds like a plan then." Danielle wrapped her arms around him and held him close to her. Without a second thought, Draco returned the embrace and closed his eyes. He was afraid that this was going to be the last real human contact he would ever have.

"How did you know?" He suddenly asked. "You weren't at the meeting were you?"

"No, but I overheard it. Voldemort really needs to learn to close the windows during his meetings." She pulled away, her arms still resting on his shoulders. "Just be safe, Draco. Get out of there as soon as you can." The look in her eyes gave Draco a feeling he had never felt. Like someone cared for him in a way that he had never experienced.

"I will." Draco responded, resting his hand on top of her arm. She gave him a tight-lipped smile when, suddenly, a feeling washed over him. What if that was the last time he was going to see her? Her smile? Without thinking, he reached down and grabbed her side, tightening his grip slightly and she began to laugh uncontrollably.

Draco smirked. And continued tickling her. She began trying to fight him off and squirming away from his grip, but Draco wanted to be sure that her laugh and her smile were firmly engraved in his mind, just in case. After several moments of struggling, she was lying on her back on their bed, and Draco was straddling her, with her arms pinned in between his legs.

Her laugh was become breathless and tears were beginning to form in her eyes. "Draco!" She breathed between fits of laughter. "Draco, stop!" Draco was relentless. "I can't breath!" She continued to beg. "I'm going to pee my pants!"

There was a cough at the door and Draco immediately jumped off of her, turning towards the intruder. His mother. "I just came to wish you good luck, Draco." She walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Draco nodded, knowing it was the closest thing to a hug he was going to get from her.

Narcissa looked over to Danielle, who had sat up slightly, resting on her elbows. "What did I tell you, Draco?" She looked back over to her son. "Our family can't take anymore of this."

At that comment, Danielle sat up, getting a look on her face, much like when she told Draco off the first night she was at Malfoy Manor. Draco looked at her expectantly, and she did not disappoint.

"Excuse me, Narcissa? I know that you did not mean me."

"No, I did." Narcissa smiled as if that would shut Danielle up, but Draco knew better.

"Well, then I'd say you're fucking insane. I have been nothing but polite and respectful to you since the moment I stepped into your home. I have said no more than five words to you at a time, you don't even know me enough to even consider warning your son to stay away from me! You don't know what is going on between the two of us, or if there even _is_ something going on, because you are so distant that I bet you couldn't tell me ten facts about your son!"

Narcissa was enraged, standing square with Danielle, who remained seated on the bed. "You think that just because you share a bed with him that you know him better than I do?"

"No, Narcissa, I know that." Danielle smirked.

"But what about your family? Where's your father? Or your mother? You say I'm distant; look at your own family."

"Right. My _dead_ mother. My father who is in prison for _protecting_ me. They are so distant, aren't they?" Narcissa was silent. Danielle stood, and even though Narcissa towered over her she did not falter. "My father is one of the most respected men in America and Europe. So by association, I am as well. Piss me off and you'll have a hell of a lot of people on your bad side. And yes. That is a threat."

Draco watched with a whole new feeling of respect for Danielle. She spoke with such conviction and malice that she left even his mother at a loss for words. There was silence for what seemed like an eternity before Draco spoke.

"Mother, I think you should leave." Draco could not believe that he had sided with someone who was attacking his mother, but he believed that Danielle was right. Narcissa had been passively attacking her and she stood up for herself.

Narcissa looked at her son, surprise etched across her elegant features. "Excuse me?"

"Get out." Narcissa still did not move, instead she moved away from Danielle and stood in front of him.

"You dare to speak to your mother like that?" She insisted, her voice mixed with surprise and anger.

"Yes, I do." The two looked over at Danielle, who had a proud smirk plastered on her face. "Because the woman I risked my neck for last year would have _never_ attacked someone who had been so respectful so passively to her face." Narcissa's eyebrows arched in disbelief. "I have never been ashamed that you were my mother, until now." Draco almost cringed at what he said and the way his voice sounded. It was so spiteful and mean, he had never imagined ever speaking like that to his mother.

Narcissa cleared her throat. "Well, then, I best be going. I would hate to embarrass you any more than I already have." She turned to leave the room, but paused when she was in the doorway. "Just so you _both_ know," she continued, staring out into the hallway, "you are no longer welcome in my home." And then she walked out of the room.

Draco sat down on the edge of his bed, but Danielle did not move. "Draco, I'm so sorry." Her voice was cracking slightly. "I didn't mean for that to happen."

"It's alright, Danielle." Draco ran his hands through his hair. Danielle turned around to look at him, a small smile on her face.

"You called me Danielle."

"Well, I figured it was appropriate considering I just got disowned standing up for you."

"I didn't ask you to do that." Her smile was now replaced with a scowl.

"And you didn't have to speak to my mother the way you did."

"What should I have done, All-mighty Draco? Tell me. Should I have stood there and let myself get insulted by a woman who I have done nothing wrong to? I'm sorry but in my world, you stand up for yourself. You didn't have to take my side, I could have taken care of it by myself. You _chose_ to say something. You _chose_ to take my side. If it's so difficult for you to make a decision_, _then just go apologize to her now."

Draco stood up and looked down at Danielle. "Why do you have to be such a bitch?" He spat.

"Because if I'm not people like you and your _mother_ would walk all over me and I will not have that." She said mother as if it was something that tasted foul in her mouth.

"And if you weren't you might actually more than just your precious psychopathic Danny to go home to."

Her eyes narrowed to slits and she pushed Draco back forcefully and he fell back on his bed. "Don't you dare call him that!" She yelled, getting right in Draco's face. "It is clear you don't know me at all so insulting what you _think_ you know of me just shows how ignorant you are. _Just like your mother_. Go fucking apologize. I'll be gone by the time you get back from your mission."

"Danielle-" Draco started, but she cut him off.

"Shut your fucking mouth, Draco! You may have stood up for me, but the way you just spoke to me shows that we are not friends! Get out now!" She picked him up by his collar and threw him towards the door. Draco had to admit she was rather strong when she was in the mood to be.

"You can't just kick me out of my room! You're fucking crazy. Bossing me around like you live here. Like you're my superior." Draco grabbed her and pushed up against the wall, pinning her shoulders back.

"News flash, Draco: I _am_ your superior! Now get the fuck out! Like I said, I'll be gone before you return from your precious little mission." She wriggled out of his grasp and shoved him back. "And don't you _ever_ put your hands on me again."

They stared at each other for several moments before she continued. "I would like to say that this will be tearful goodbye, that you were kind to me, but then I'd be a liar and a spineless coward. Just. Like. You."

Her words hit Draco's stomach and it wrenched. His jaw tightened and he glared down at the girl that he had grown to respect over the few weeks he had known her. "Fine. Good riddance." Draco stormed out of his room and down to the front hall to collect his Death Eater uniform. He was shaking from anger and betrayal.

He had stood up for her and that was the thanks he got. His mother hated him, Danielle hated him. If he died during this mission it probably would not have made a difference.

As he donned his black robes and silver mask, he couldn't help but feel slightly guilty. When was finished dressing and he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, his slight feeling of guilt increased ten-fold. Without thinking, he ran back up to his room, tearing his Death Eater costume off as he made his way up the stairs. He could not have Danielle mad at him, she was the only thing that helped him believe he was a good person somewhere inside of him. He needed that. He needed her.

He opened his door forcefully, and it slammed against the wall rather loudly, making Danielle jump and turn around quickly. Draco looked at her and then next to her, she had a bag, which already looked full with clothes. He stepped forward and so did she. Draco could tell by the look on her face that she was not going to take any bullshit.

"Danielle, listen-"

"No, Draco, you listen. I understand that doing the right thing is something that you're not used to doing. But lashing out at me because you feel so awkward after doing something good that you need to make up for it by being a dick is not the thing to do."

"I know!" Draco said, frustrated. "I'm trying to apologize!" She arched an eyebrow, beckoning him to continue. "I'm sorry for what I said! You're the only person that has ever made me feel like I was good, in the slightest way! Don't go. At least not without me."

"Draco!" His aunt called from somewhere downstairs, no doubt it was time to go. Draco looked at Danielle expectantly, he needed an answer now. She tilted her head and studied him for a minute, before nodding, giving him a tight-lipped smile. Draco returned it before turning to meet with his fellow Death Eaters. As he approached, he noticed that the Dark Lord was not there to accompany them, or tell them what to do.

"Draco," Bellatrix called as she saw him descending the stairs, "all you have to do is get into the Minister's office." She handed him a necklace. "Once you're there, tap this pendant three times. We will attack then, but you are just to keep the Minister, and whoever else is in his office, there until the Dark Lord comes to dispose of him." Draco put the necklace in his pocket, next to his wand and nodded. "Off you go then." She handed him the bag of floo powder and Draco stepped into the hearth.

"Ministry of Magic!" He shouted throwing a handful of powder at his feet and disappearing in a rush of green flames.

**A.N. I know it's been a while! I just couldn't get this chapter quite perfect. Draco's growing up though, how cute! Please review and let me know what you think!**


	6. Ministry Attack

**Chapter 6: Ministry Attack**

Draco suddenly tumbled into the entryway of the Ministry and he became extremely aware that everything around him had stopped. There was no noise. No movement. Nothing. He began to feel extremely awkward and slowly picked himself up and dusted off his robes, trying his hardest not to look at anything besides the ground.

He moved silently along the entryway, keeping his head down and trying his best not to bump into one of the many people just standing there, staring at him. As he approached the front desk, a terrible thought came to him.

_I'm not going to be able to bring my wand._

He felt a knot in his stomach. How was he going to keep the Minister in his office while a battle was breaking out _without a wand_? He would just have to suck it up, though. He was lucky to still be alive after the Dumbledore fiasco, who knows what would happen if this went wrong in any way because of him.

The woman at the desk was very plain Draco noticed as he walked up to the counter and placed his hands on the ledge. She had no striking facial features and her hair was a plain murky brown. She did not even have a name tag.

_Just another nobody in the direct line of fire, _Draco mused before clearing his throat, hopefully to get her to stop gawking at him like he was the Dark Lord himself. It worked and she blinked before addressing him.

"B-business?" She stuttered, a shocked expression still plastered on her face.

"I'm here to see the Minister. I'm going to turn myself in."

Her eyebrows raised and she pointed over to a window not far from where he was standing. "Ch-check you w-wand in."

Draco immediately stalked over, still ignoring all of the stares. He placed his wand on the counter immediately and watched the man as he examined his wand.

This man seemed much more arrogant. Like checking and confiscating wands was life or death and he was the only one who could do it. He was short compared to Draco, not more than five and a half feet tall, and had dark blonde hair and dark beady eyes. He smirked at Draco, his lip curling in a most unattractive fashion that almost caused Draco to shudder.

"You understand that we'll be needing to hold this." He said, very condescendingly. It was a very odd sight to Draco for someone to talk down on someone who was almost a foot taller than him.

"I expected as much." Draco remained unfazed by this man's snarky attitude.

"No funny business, Death Eater."

Draco stalked away without giving a response, his mind racing, trying to come up with any ideas to keep the Minister locked in his office. He stepped into the elevator and was taken to the highest floor. Draco's heart was racing at a remarkable rate and he was surprised that he did not have a heart attack right then and there as the elevator doors opened and he walked down the hall to the Minister's office door. He knocked and opened when he heard a booming "come in" accompanied with a shuffling of papers.

Draco stepped inside and closed the door behind him. The Minister still had not looked up from his desk and Draco was standing rather awkwardly, not quite sure what to do. Finally, after several moments, Scrimgeour glanced up, then back down at his desk, then, as realization hit him, stood from his desk, wand drawn.

Draco put up his arms in surrender. "I'm here to turn myself in, Minister. And I felt that you would be the most appropriate person to give my statement to." The minister still did not move. "I'm unarmed."

The Minister raised an eyebrow before motioning Draco to sit down and doing so himself, leaving his wand on the desk. Draco noticed that and realized that that was his answer to keeping the Minister there. He tried not to draw attention to the fact that he observed this and took a seat.

Scrimgeour searched his desk for a piece of parchment and a quill. "Go ahead, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco took a deep breath, while he reached into his pocked and tapped the pendant three times as instructed before telling his story.

"Well, it all started when my-"

"Start with your name, age, and the crime you are being accused of."

"Right. Sorry." Draco felt slightly put-off. How was he supposed to know that that was how you started a confession. "Draco Abraxas Lucius Malfoy. Age 17. Accused of conspiring to kill Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, plotting against the Ministry of Magic of England, and being a Death Eater." The Minister nodded.

"It all started when my father, Lucius Brutus Abraxas Malfoy, was sent to Azkaban for being a known Death Eater and his involvement in the attack of the Department of Mysteries. The Dark Lord wanted revenge on my family, so he threatened not only my life, but the life of my mother's, in order to get the revenge on my father. I was made a Death Eater, officially, in August of last year, the 21st to be exact and was ordered the task of assassinating the Headmaster of Hogwarts. I had made several attempts during my school year to fulfill my task, but was-" Draco was cut off by a sudden alarm cutting through the office. That was his cue.

Without a second thought, Draco grabbed the Minister's wand and stood up. Scrimgeour looked extremely alarmed and dumbfounded. He had fallen into a fairly obvious trap, by a 17 year old, no doubt.

"Minister, I need you to please remain seated." They stared at each other, awkwardly. "And I need to ask you a favor."

"No." Came the short reply, but Draco asked anyways.

"Please understand that I have no choice. I_ must_ do this. For my mother." Draco shuddered, remembering their previous conversation, and almost did not catch the slight nod his hostage had given.

"Everyone already knew that, Mr. Malfoy." A sudden, and loud, knocking erupted through the office, barely audible over the alarm.

"Minister, Sir, we're being attacked. There are Death Eaters everywhere. I need you to come out here immediately." Came a strong sounding voice. Draco gave a pleading look.

"Of course, of course, Shacklebolt. Just getting some important things together for safe keeping. I'll meet you in your office in 5 minutes." Draco let out a deep breath. He was so glad that the Minister had decided to become noble right then, risk his position and even his own life, just to save Draco and his family from a horrific fate.

"Thank you, Sir. I'm so sorry that this is the part I must play." Draco sat down, now confident that his hostage would not try to escape. He got no reply. "I never thought it would come to this." Draco became very stiff, unsure of why he was telling someone who was about to die his innermost secrets. "I thought my parents would protect me, keep me away from all of this madness, but they did just the opposite." Draco sighed. "I just want to protect my family, Minister. I need to make up for their mistakes and make them proud of me."

Scrimgeour just stared at Draco, pity cemented onto his features. "Family is one of the most important things, Mr. Malfoy, and, honestly, in spite of the current situation I find myself in, it's quite refreshing to see you risking so much for two people who have given you a one-way ticket to hell. They don't deserve it you know."

Draco slammed his fist on the desk in front of him, causing the Minister to jump slightly. "They do! They do deserve it! Why else would I be putting up with all of this bullshit? Risking everything?"

"Not very Slytherin of you at all, Mr. Malfoy." The Minister smirked slightly, knowing that that would really get under Draco's skin. "More of a Gryffindor thing to protect and risk everything for those who would not do the same for you."

Draco stood up once again, wand drawn, staring down at the Minister. "Watch you fucking mouth!"

Just then, the door burst open and the Dark Lord, along with Draco's Aunt Bellatrix, who had some kind of a binding spell on Kingsley Shacklebolt, strode into the office.

"Well, done, Draco!" Bellatrix cackled, throwing Shacklebolt forgotten on the floor and walking over to stand besides her nephew. "What a fantastic sight! You finally did what you were asked!"

Draco almost rolled at his eyes and the obvious surprise in his aunt's voice but decided to just remain silent,

wand drawn.

Voldemort stood next to Draco, a hand on his shoulder, almost lovingly. Draco felt the bile rise in his throat, but choked it down, knowing being sick while being so close to someone so dangerous was fairly counterproductive to his cause.

"Well done, Draco. Well done." He hissed, drawing his own wand. "But, if you don't mind, I'd like to dispose of him myself."

"By all means." Draco put the wand in his pocket, motioning the Dark Lord to step forward. Draco stood back, beside his aunt, as far away as he could be from Voldemort without being too obvious.

"Good evening, Minister."

Scrimgeour looked incredibly scared. He was visibly shaking and his skin had paled dramatically. _Not such a smart ass now._ Draco thought.

"Anyways," the Dark Lord continued upon realizing he was not going to get a response, "as I'm sure you know, Rufus, I am here to kill you." The Minister's eyes widened. "But me, being the gracious Lord that I am, will not make you suffer. Avada Kadavra."

The body dropped so slowly to the floor that Draco felt like he could jump across the desk and catch him. That he might even be able to catch his life in the process. However, Draco refrained from acting upon this thought and before he knew it, the body hit the floor with a resounding _uumph_.

Voldemort turned to Draco and Bellatrix, a smile on his face. "Well, now that that's done, go have fun." He sounded like he was talking to a couple of toddlers who had just finished eating their vegetables. Bellatrix was out of the office in a matter of seconds, Draco following closely behind her.

Back down in the lobby, chaos ensued. Draco could barely tell who was on his side and who worked at the Ministry. Walls were blown down, parts of the ceiling were missing, and dozens of bodies already littered the floor. He immediately headed for the wand collection window to retrieve his wand.

He saw no one standing guard, and hopped over the counter. He landed on top of the pervious guard, who had a bashed in head. He was staring up at Draco, with lifeless eyes, blood clotted all the way down his face and onto the floor. Without thinking, Draco immediately bent down and closed the man's eyelids. That stare was too haunting to ever have to see again.

Once that was done, Draco began the search for his wand. He found it quickly, since it was at the top of the pile, labeled _Draco Malfoy, Death Eater_. He tore the tag off and was back over the counter in a matter of seconds.

Draco felt no more confident with his wand than he had before, now being thrown into the heart of the battle. He did not know where to turn, who to shoot, or even where to run. He just stood there, his mind drawing a blank on all of his training, when something hit him hard from the back, knocking him to the floor.

He turned over to see a tall woman with her wand raised at him, terror etched all over her face. Before Draco could even raise his wand, a part of the ceiling fell down on top of the two them.

For what felt like forever, all Draco saw was darkness. He could not hear anything and the only thing he could think was that he was dead. All of that to be killed by a piece of falling ceiling.

Draco felt his body give up and go limp at just the idea of being killed in this battle. His wand clattered to the floor in the silence, echoing against the debris that surrounded him.

This was it. He was going to die there. Draco closed his eyes and welcomed the idea, when he was hit by his subconscious.

The Manor flashed across the back of his eyelids, followed by Danielle. More specifically Danielle's eyes.

They were dark and mysterious. Just like Draco's, except for opposite. Her eyes were dark in color, whereas his were the only window into the dark things that live in his soul. The mystery in her eyes made you want to get to know her better, but his made many run away.

Draco was not a good person, no matter what these past weeks with Danielle have showed him. No matter what he had done to help her today, he was still the same slimey coward he had always been. One moment of selflessness could not change that.

He knew that if he made it out of that rubble alive, more things would have to happen in order for him to redeem himself. Not just to the world, but to Danielle. And more importantly, himself.

Draco took in a deep breath, letting the revelation sink in, promising himself not to forget it once he's safe back at the Manor, and, as he did so, he breathed in a lot of dust, resulting in a coughing fit. During his attempts to clear his airways, the pieces of ceiling that surrounded him began to shift, revealing a patch of light not far from where he was.

Still coughing, Draco reached forward, attempting to move more wreckage out of his way, forcing his way out of his early albeit deserved grave. When he emerged, he saw nothing but debris and lifeless bodies. There was no sounds coming from anywhere in the building that he could hear. He had been abandoned and forgotten. Left for dead.

Without brushing himself off, Draco stood up straight and looked over his body, inspecting his wounds.

His left forearm, where his Dark Mark was, was mutilated and bloody. The cuts looked like they ran as deep as his bone. His pant leg was ripped open on his right mid-thigh all the way down to the bottom seem, blood slowly dripping out of a long cut with pieces of flesh flecked on his trousers.. But the worst was the bruise on his stomach. It was already swelling and turning purple. It suddenly hurt to breath or move his body in any way.

He made an attempt to touch the contusion, but pulled away the second his fingertips touched the skin because of the pain.

He abruptly tasted a warm metallic substance and knew right away that it was blood. He put his hand to face and felt warmth and a large gash going across his face, from his right temple to the center of his chin, where he also felt a cut lip.

Draco mentally swore to himself. He had a lot of injuries and did not know how to heal himself. He was all alone in this huge building and was beginning to panic. What if he died from blood loss? Or he had a concussion and did not even know?

Instinctively, he brought his hand to the back of his head and felt another rather large gash along with a warm liquid.

If he did not get out of there soon, he was going to die. So, without a second thought and ignoring the all of the pain and screams from his body, he hurried over to a fireplace, who's mantle was slightly damaged, behind the, now non-existent, front desk.

He found a bag lying not far from the hearth, and prayed to Merlin that it was floo powder. With all of his strength, Draco stepped into the fireplace, threw down a handful of ashes from the bag, and yelled "Malfoy Manor" before being whisked away in a rush of green flames.

Draco fell face first onto the hard tile of his foyer, no doubt adding to the numerous injuries he already had. He slowly lifted his head and saw the feet of Lord Voldemort. After taking a moment to realize whose shoes they were, he clambered to his feet, wincing with every movement. Once he was stood at position, his Lord addressed.

"You did an excellent job this evening, Draco. The injuries that I see just show how loyal you have become to me."

Draco bowed his head even lower. "Thank you, Sir."

"It has, however, come to my attention, that your mother has run out Miss Moretti, banishing her from the Manor." Draco nodded slightly, even though he knew it was not necessary. "And seeing as she was sent here for protection, I cannot let her venture out unguarded, you see." The Dark Lord moved around the room so he was now behind Draco. "So I am giving you the task of following her and being her protector. Where ever she goes, you go. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Sir." Draco could not help but feel slightly excited by his task, but was beginning to feel somewhat faint from the loss of blood.

"The both of you are to return here by next Sunday. That's one week. And then you are to return to Hogwarts as Head Boy and Girl. Understand?"

"Yes, Sir."

"If either of you are a day early or a day late, there will be severe punishments for the both of you, even your mother, who made this entire plan necessary. Am I making myself clear?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Very well then. She resides at 2958 Merlin Place in California. Get to it."

And then he left the room. Without a second thought, Draco limped over to the floo powder and then back to the fireplace. He yelled out the address and was ushered out of England and into the home of Danielle Moretti.

The first thing Draco saw was her, sitting on the couch, reading a book of some sort. Upon hearing his arrival she had looked up at him, as if expecting him to say something for being there.

Draco opened his mouth, but he had apparently used up all of his strength already and blacked out, once again hitting his head.

**A.N. Okay guys! Chapter 6! Not much to say about this chapter except that it took an extremely long time to write. I sincerely hope that it was worth the wait and PLEASE review! They make me feel all fuzzy and warm! Haha =]**


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